Acute Myelogenous Leukemia Symptoms
Acute Myelogenous Leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer in which a person's bone marrow produces white blood cells that are incapable of maturing into fully functional cells. These leukemia cells, known as "leukemic blasts," crowd out normal cells, resulting in a lack of functional white blood cells, red blood cells and platelets. This lack of normal blood cells is what causes the visible symptoms of AML.
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Low Platelets
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Low platelet counts due to large numbers of leukemic blasts, a condition known as thrombocytopenia, interferes with the body's ability to form blood clots. It can cause excessive bruising or bruising without a known cause. It can also cause easy bleeding, severe or frequent nosebleeds, bleeding of the gums and, in some cases, small red spots under the skin known as petechiae.
Anemia
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Anemia is any condition in which the body has an insufficient number of red blood cells. It can cause you to feel weak, dizzy, cold and tired to varying degrees depending on the severity of the anemia. There are many potential causes for anemia, including insufficient iron, and is only a symptom of AML in conjunction with other symptoms.
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Infections
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The primary job of white blood cells is to fight infections, but the leukemic blasts that replace these normal cells are incapable of performing this task. This means that the immune system is significantly depressed and prone to infection. Frequent infections or infections that last longer than normal are symptomatic of AML.
Swollen Organs
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Leukemic cells may congregate in the lymph nodes, which causes the lymph nodes to swell. If this happens, they can be felt as hard lumps under the skin. The easiest to check lymph nodes are located on either side of the neck and under the armpits. The leukemic cells may also move to other organs in the body, causing them to swell. A doctor will be able to detect this swelling during a physical exam. The final place the leukemic cells may build up is in the bone marrow or in joints which can cause bone or joint pain.
Diagnosis
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All of the symptoms described above can also be caused by other diseases or conditions. When considering an AML diagnosis, doctors look at the overall pattern of symptoms and do a complete blood count of the red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets in the blood. In leukemia, there will be an elevated white blood cell count and may also be a decreased number of platelets and red blood cells. Finally, before AML can be definitively diagnosed, a bone marrow biopsy must be performed. This biopsy retrieves a sample of bone marrow that is analyzed for leukemic cells. With it, a doctor can diagnosis AML, as well as determine the specific mutation that has occurred.
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